Verizon and Casio team up to launch cell phone for the outdoors
Friday, November 20th, 2009The G’zOne, a joint venture of telecom company Verizon and digital equipment maker Casio, is geared to appeal to cell phone users who spend a lot of time outdoors, according to the company’s website.
Verizon says that the G’zOne – pronounced "jeez-wun" according to tech website i4u – was designed and built to military specifications, making it much more rugged than most phones. The G’zOne uses telephone tracking software powerd by GPS, though the GPS system has more limited functionality than equivalent apps on the iPhone and Droid.
The i4u article on the device – despite giving the G’zOne "our prestigious ‘Worst Cell Phone Name of 2009′ award – does point out that the phone packs a number of non-standard applications, like a thermometer, pedometer, and other tools designed to aid outdoor users.
The focus of cell phone designs of late has been away from the sort of ruggedness present in the G’zOne and towards more feature-packed, urban-consumer-oriented functionality, like that present in the Droid or Palm Pre, Sprint’s "work" phones notwithstanding.
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November 21st, 2009 at 6:08 am
I’ve dropped and ruined many phones so a ruggedized smart phone is a great addition.
December 1st, 2009 at 8:12 pm
when will Verizon allow you to purchase an inexpensive phone without extending your contract – there aren’t any types of deals out there that would be beneficial to their current customers. I would love to get this rugged phone for my hubby – he drops his phone all the time.